Author Note: Ok, maybe I already asked this before, but does anyone have a fan mail address for S.E. Hinton, if you do could you put it in a review or a message or an email, that would be very much appreciated.

Not long after Kally and Lauren left, the knock came at the door. We knew it was Two-Bit. I was expecting him to come in and make a big scene, but he just said "Hey," kind of quietly and sat down. I remembered the way he greeted me when I got back from Windrixville…

"Anybody Home?" a familiar voice called through the front screen and Two-Bit and Steve came in…

"In here!" I yelled, forgetting that Darry and Sodapop were still asleep. "Don't slam the door."

They slammed the door, of course, and Two-Bit came running into the kitchen. He caught me by the upper arms and swung me around, ignoring the fact that I had two uncooked eggs in my hand.

"Hey, Ponyboy," he cried gleefully, "long time no see."

…but, he seemed different now. There was an awkward silence. I wondered if he knew that we knew about him getting arrested. Was it bugging him the same way it was me?

"So…" Soda began, "what's up?"

"Oh Stop it. I know you all know perfectly well what's up." I guess that answered my question. "I got boozed up, busted, and hauled in, ok, so stop with the silence and if yall wanna talk about it go ahead, just quite being so quiet, cause it's about driving me insane."

"Look Two-Bit," Soda said softly, "we didn't mean you upset you or anything like that man. We were all just worried about you. Steve said you weren't acting like yourself and well, I just thought maybe something was going on with ya and then pony…he had one of those dreams again and then…I don't know it just didn't sound like you."

"Well damn it," Two-Bit said angrily, his voice rising, "maybe I'm sick of being me."

"What do you mean?"

"Look I just, I'm just sick of it ok and, look just leave me alone!"

"We only wanted to help…" I said softly.

"Well I don't need your damn help," he was practically yelling now and he ran out of the room so fast that it took me minuet to realize he left. I stood shocked for a few minuets, I didn't know who this was, but it sure wasn't the Two-Bit I knew.

"I'll go after him," I said softly.

"Ok, but if he gets aggressive, come get me ok Ponyboy?" Darry said.

"I will." I took off down the hallway looking for him. The hallways could go in a lot of different directions and take a lot of different turns, so that really didn't help me find him any easier. I turned down this one hallway and sure enough there he was. He was standing there. I started to walk toward him and saw that someone was in front of him. It was kally! Boy howdy was she ever at the right place at the right time.

"Kally," I called.

"Hey Ponyboy."

"What's going on," I asked as I finally reached them.

"I don't know I was walking around and I ran into ummmmmm…I didn't catch your name."

"Two-Bit," I said.

"This is Two-Bit!"

"That would be me" Two-Bit said.

"Oh, cool, so you're the jokester?"

"Yeah that's me." Two-Bit said coolly.

"Well I didn't mean anything by it," Kally said.

"Sure," Two-Bit said softly. Kally looked at me helplessly, but I just shrugged. I really didn't know what was up with Two-Bit, he usually loved it when people kidded around and stuff.

"Two-Bit man, what's up?" I asked

"I don't know…" he said. I had never seen him this way before there was a sound of despair in his voice. "I just don't know anything anymore….after Johnny and Dallas died, I got…I got scared because I didn't know, I guess I just never saw it happening and well oh I don't know Ponyboy, it's dumb."

"Two-Bit what is it please just tell me. If you don't want to talk to me then talk to someone, but don't let it eat at you like this ok?"

"Ok, I'll…I'll tell you. I guess I just started thinking about life and what was sure in life, like what can you really depend on, but I realized Ponyboy, that I can't depend on anything." There were tears in his eyes, but he'd never let them fall. Two-Bit hardly ever bawled and if he did, he would never in a public place. "I can't even depend on myself because I don't even really know who I am or what I'm good for. I mean, you got your smarts, Darry's got his strength, Soda's got his looks, and Steve's good with cars I guess that night when I was out with Steve I wasn't feeling much like I was good for anything and then Soda was in the hospital and we walked by the lot and it brought back memories of Johnny and Dally and it hurt so much man, so I started drinking and then Steve said something about how I was such a boozed up fool and he was kidding and everything, but it really hit me hard. I guess I drink mostly to give an excuse to myself for being so scatterbrained. I mean all I'm good for is following other people and joking around and being a joke. With the booze at least I have a reason for being such an idiot." I hardly knew what to say. The gang loved the way Two-Bit was always joking around. I mean, I always thought Two-Bit was confident in the way he was, but, I guess even Two-Bit had weaknesses…I just never saw them.

"Look man…" I began, but I just really didn't know what to say. I looked at Kally, who was listening intently to Two-Bit.

"Everyone loves people like that," she said finally, "I mean, a follower, what's wrong with that? If everyone was a leader then no one would stick together everyone would just go, go, go and lead no one. And...And joking is what you're good at and that's great. This world could use more of that. People don't laugh enough as it is. You bring joy to the world and light to the heaviness and that's what people look for as a good quality. I believe in you even if you don't." A smile crossed Two-Bit's face and he turned toward me.

"Ponyboy, where did you find her and where can I get one?"

"I guess that means you're ok now?" I asked.

"Yeah, I don't really know what happened, but I'll be ok now. I'll try not to drink so much again. Of course I is who I am, so ya know I can't quit all together or nothing like that, but at least I won't drink like that one night. Besides high on life's the best kinda high there is anyway."

"Good for you Two-Bit, good for you,"

"Thanks man…I guess we better go back. I need to apologize to your brother for getting in his face earlier. You coming uhhhh…..what's your name?" Two-Bit asked Kally.

"Kally,"

"Cool name, you coming?"

"I would but Nurse Lauren would kill me if she even knew I was out walking around."

"Who's Nurse Lauren?" Two-Bit asked.

"Darry's girlfriend," I said winking at Kally.

We went back to Soda's room. The tension was gone now and there was the usual sense of relief. It was good now, things were starting to lookup. Thanks to Kally, it seemed like she always knew what to say.